County & Court GPS
Broward County family court
Seventeenth Judicial Circuit. Procedure notes below come from BenchPath verified sources — every card carries its citation, confidence level, and last-verified date.
Before you file here
- Confirm venue — this county is the right place for the case
- Confirm the current official forms at flcourts.gov
- Check signature / notary requirements per form
- Pick the correct e-filing case category on the portal
- Handle confidential information (SSNs, minors) per rule
- Note the filing fee — or the fee-waiver application
Before you appear here
- Confirm date, time, location — and Zoom vs. in person
- Check the assigned judge/division instructions below
- Confirm how evidence must be submitted for hearings
- Ask whether a proposed order is expected, and in what format
- Confirm courtesy-copy requirements
- Build the exhibit and witness lists in Hearing Prep
Uncontested in Broward
Agreed on the terms? The path runs through this courthouse.
The qualifier reads your answers, the Assembly Line organizes the agreement, the Packet Composer names the official forms, and the tracker follows the clerk's acceptance loop — all county-aware. Filing fees are verified with the Browardclerk (this platform never types a fee it can't source), and the division's published practice above controls hearing logistics.
Florida law generally bars entry of a final judgment of dissolution until at least 20 days after the petition is filed (§ 61.19, Fla. Stat.); a court may act sooner only on the statute's required showing. Clerk and court processing add county-varying time on top.
Judge & Division Playbook
Who hears family cases here — and their published practice
A playbook is published practice — calendars, conferral, order formats — with its citation and verification date. FamilyLawGPS does not and will not predict judicial outcomes.
Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Alberto Ribas, Jr.
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Allana Robinson Woods
general_magistrate
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Allison Gilman
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Andrew L. Siegel
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Annette J. Szorosy
general_magistrate
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Ari Abraham Porth
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Barbara R. Duffy
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Bernard I. Bober
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Betsy Benson
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Caleb S. Johnston
general_magistrate
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Carlos Augusto Rodriguez
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Carlos S. Rebollo
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Carol-Lisa Phillips
chief_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Catalina Avalos
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Chris Brown
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Christopher Pole
senior_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Christopher Wigand
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Corey Amanda Cawthon
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Corey B. Friedman
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Daniel A. Casey
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Daniel J. Kanner
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
David A. Haimes
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Deborah Carpenter-Toye
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Denise E. Kistner
general_magistrate
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Edward H. Merrigan Jr.
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Elaine A. Carbuccia
circuit_judge
- Judge Elaine A. Carbuccia — Division 40 procedures (Unified Family)17th Jud. Cir. (Broward), Division 40 Procedures — Judge Elaine A. Carbuccia (official published division doc)
Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Elijah H. Williams
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Ellen Feld
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Ernest A. Kollra, Jr.
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Fabienne E. Fahnestock
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Florence Taylor Barner
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Francis Viamontes
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Frank Ledee
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
George Odom, Jr.
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Ginger Lerner-Wren
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Giuseppina Miranda
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Hilary Creary
general_magistrate
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Hope Tieman Bristol
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Jackie Powell
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
James R. Harris
circuit_judge
- Judge James R. Harris — AI disclosure/certification mandate (Division 42) [PREEMPTED]17th Jud. Cir. (Broward), Division 42 Procedures — AI filing requirement; see AO 2026-03-Gen; preempted by Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.515(d)(2), AOSC26-12
- Judge James R. Harris — Division 42 procedures (Unified Family)17th Jud. Cir. (Broward), Division 42 Procedures — Judge James R. Harris (official published division doc)
Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Jeffrey R. Levenson
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Jennifer Wigand Hilal
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Jeremy I. Franker
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Jessica M. Marra
circuit_judge
- Judge Jessica M. Marra — Division 45 procedures (Domestic Violence)17th Jud. Cir. (Broward), Division 45 Procedures — Judge Jessica M. Marra (official published division doc)
Broward County Court
Jill K. Levy
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
John B. Bowman
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
John D. Fry
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
John Hurley
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Jose Izquierdo
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Kal Evans
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Kathleen E. Angione
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Kathleen McCarthy
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Kathleen McHugh
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Keathan B. Frink
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Kenneth A. Gottlieb
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Kenneth L. Gillespie
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Kevin P. Tynan
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Kim Theresa Mollica
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Kristin R. Kanner
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Lauren M. Alperstein
circuit_judge
- Judge Lauren M. Alperstein — AI disclosure/certification mandate (Division 35) [PREEMPTED]17th Jud. Cir. (Broward), Division 35 Procedures — AI filing requirement; see AO 2026-03-Gen; preempted by Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.515(d)(2), AOSC26-12
- Judge Lauren M. Alperstein — Division 35 procedures (Unified Family (Family Chairperson))17th Jud. Cir. (Broward), Division 35 Procedures — Judge Lauren M. Alperstein (official published division doc)
Broward County Court
Lauren N. Peffer
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Linda Ivelisse Gonzalez
general_magistrate
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Lorena V. Mastrarrigo
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Lucy Ramos Miller
general_magistrate
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Marina Garcia-Wood
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Marlon J. Weiss
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Martin Bidwill
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Martin S. Fein
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Matthew Tannenbaum
child_support_hearing_officer
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Melinda Brown
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Michael A. Robinson
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Michael A. Usan
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Michael Davis
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Michael G. Kaplan
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Michael I. Rothschild
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Michael J. Orlando
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Michael Lynch
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Michael Sullivan
child_support_hearing_officer
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Michele McCaul Ricca
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Michele Towbin Singer
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
N. Hunter Davis
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Natasha DePrimo
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Nicholas Lopane
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Nina W. Di Pietro
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Olga Levine
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Pascale Achille
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court
Peter Holden
circuit_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Broward County Court
Phoebee Francois
county_judge
No judge-specific procedural notes verified yet — the division instructions on the official circuit site control.
Official roster source ↗Court procedure notes
Verified local intelligence
Court procedure data from BenchPath, compiled from official public court sources.
Divisional InstructionsDivision 40 — Unified Family · Elaine A. Carbuccia · Broward
Judge Elaine A. Carbuccia — Division 40 procedures (Unified Family)
Division 40 procedures before Judge Elaine A. Carbuccia (Unified Family, Broward). Verbatim requirements: scheduling, conferral, orders, appearance format.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Divisional InstructionsDivision 42 — Unified Family · James R. Harris · Broward
Judge James R. Harris — AI disclosure/certification mandate (Division 42) [PREEMPTED]
Division 42 (Judge James R. Harris) published an AI-use disclosure/certification requirement. Preempted eff. 6/15/2026 by Rule 2.515(d)(2) + AOSC26-12; still posted as of 7/5/2026.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Divisional InstructionsDivision 42 — Unified Family · James R. Harris · Broward
Judge James R. Harris — Division 42 procedures (Unified Family)
Division 42 procedures before Judge James R. Harris (Unified Family, Broward). Verbatim requirements: scheduling, conferral, orders, appearance format.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Divisional InstructionsDivision 45 — Domestic Violence · Jessica M. Marra · Broward
Judge Jessica M. Marra — Division 45 procedures (Domestic Violence)
Division 45 procedures before Judge Jessica M. Marra (Domestic Violence, Broward). Verbatim requirements: scheduling, conferral, orders, appearance format.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Divisional InstructionsDivision 35 — Unified Family (Family Chairperson) · Lauren M. Alperstein · Broward
Judge Lauren M. Alperstein — AI disclosure/certification mandate (Division 35) [PREEMPTED]
Division 35 (Judge Lauren M. Alperstein) published an AI-use disclosure/certification requirement. Preempted eff. 6/15/2026 by Rule 2.515(d)(2) + AOSC26-12; still posted as of 7/5/2026.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Divisional InstructionsDivision 35 — Unified Family (Family Chairperson) · Lauren M. Alperstein · Broward
Judge Lauren M. Alperstein — Division 35 procedures (Unified Family (Family Chairperson))
Division 35 procedures before Judge Lauren M. Alperstein (Unified Family (Family Chairperson), Broward). Verbatim requirements: scheduling, conferral, orders, appearance format.
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Administrative OrdersBroward
Broward AO 2026-10-UFC — Distribution of Unified Family Court Cases to Judges and General Magistrates
Broward AO 2026-10-UFC — Distribution of Unified Family Court Cases to Judges and General Magistrates
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Administrative OrdersBroward
Broward AO 2026-21-GEN — General Assignment of Judges, General Magistrates & Hearing Officers (controlling chart)
Broward AO 2026-21-GEN — General Assignment of Judges, General Magistrates & Hearing Officers (controlling chart)
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.
Local RulesBroward
Local Rule 1 — Five divisions of the Circuit Court (Broward)
Creates the five Circuit Court divisions — General Civil, Criminal, Probate, Juvenile, Family — and defines the Family Division's one-family jurisdiction (dissolution, custody/support, domestic violence and related matters).
Court procedures change without notice. Verify urgent deadlines or unusual requirements with the court, the clerk, or a Florida attorney.